Imperator: Resurrection of an Empire

The midday sun bathed the city of Tyrossa in golden light.

Once this city was one of the crown jewels of Carthage, it now stood battered, its proud walls marred by Ramie occupation.

Yet today, Tyrossa awoke to a different sound—cheers.

The gates had swung open, not by siege but by the hands of its own people.

Carthaginian banners fluttered alongside the crimson-gold standards of Romanus.

The occupying Ramie forces lay defeated, some executed by angry mobs, others spared at the behest of Serena herself to be dealt with properly in the future for their crimes against her nation.

Standing atop the city's grand balcony, Queen Serena raised her arms to address the assembled crowd.

The roar of tens of thousands of voices echoed through the city square below.

"People of Carthage!"

she called, her voice carrying with regal authority.

The crowd hushed.

"We have suffered! Our homes taken, our families torn apart, our freedom stolen!"

Her emerald eyes glistened with determination.

"But no longer. The tyrants who claimed dominion over our lands now tremble behind their crumbling walls. We—you, me, and our brothers and sisters—we take it all back!"

The crowd erupted.

"Serena! Serena! Queen Serena!"

But Serena lifted a hand, calming the cheers.

"Yet know this: We do not stand alone. Romanus stands with us! They fight not as conquerors but as liberators—side by side struggling with Carthage! Together, we will forge a future greater than any that came before, and usher in a better and brighter tommorow!"

As if on cue, Romanus legionnaires marched through the streets, polished armor gleaming in the sun, their disciplined ranks contrasting the passionate Carthaginian rebels.

They handed out bread, treated the wounded, and protected merchants reopening their shops.

To the people, Romanus had become heroes, saviors who bled for Carthage's freedom even though almost all the real work of the reclamation was being undertaken by the people themselves.

Serena smiled.

The plan was working.

~

Three cities had fallen in as many weeks.

Each victory came with greater support from the Carthaginian people.

Former Ramie levies defected en masse having chosen to abandon their homeland and become at first, second class citizens in the new Carthage with hope that the Queen's words were indeed true resulting in a far better tomorrow, while nobles who once collaborated with Ramie now begged Serena for forgiveness only to be slain like dogs and bodies tossed out into the streets, their affluent wealth being seized and a portion returned to the people.

Serena played her role perfectly.

At each liberated city, she held court, listening to grievances, pardoning the repentant, and always—always—speaking of Romanus not as an occupying force but as Carthage's partner in destiny.

"Our strength is reborn not through revenge alone,"

she told the people of Selkar,

"but through unity—with a true king that shares our dreams of prosperity."

Behind the scenes, Serena continued to strengthen the bond with Romanus soldiers, joining Julius' officers at councils, praising their discipline, and fostering trust, while trying to get her own rebellious leaders to learn from and practically enlist themselves into the legions.

The line between Carthaginian and Romanus banners blurred with every passing day.

~

The city of Halveth, once a stronghold of Ramie's southern defense, had resisted the longest.

Its governor, a man named Seldan, refused surrender unable to swallow the bitter pill of defeat.

But Halveth fell not by siege, but by the will of the people.

Romanus infiltrators had slipped into the city weeks before Serena's army arrived.

By the time the liberation force stood at Halveth's gates, the gates were opened from within.

Carthaginian rebels, emboldened by Romanus whispers and Carthaginian loyalty, seized control.

Seldan tried to flee.

But he and his family were caught and dragged before Serena in chains.

The city gathered to witness his judgment.

Seldan, bruised and beaten, spat at her feet.

"You think your Romanus friends will spare you? They'll take your crown next."

Serena raised her chin.

"Romanus does not seek my crown. They seek a queen worthy to stand at their kings's side—a queen who rebuilds, not just rules, a Queen who could... one day become an Empress."

With a nod from Serena, Seldan's head rolled, and the crowd roared much to the horror of the mans own family who was made to watch.

~

With each victory, Serena deepened her strategy.

— Ramie citizens who had not resisted were granted clemency.— Former Ramie soldiers who surrendered were given choices: join the Carthaginian-Romanus army by fighting on the frontlines or leave with their lives, as in leave both countries for if they were found again on the wrong side of the battlefield there would be no mercy.— Carthaginian temples were reopened, their priests preaching unity between the kingdoms as the legion began to spread tales of their own godking, and the saint like Queen serena.

But perhaps most notably, Romanus soldiers were seen rebuilding alongside Carthaginians—repairing aqueducts, clearing markets, and helping distribute food.

No longer were they foreign soldiers.

They were brothers-in-arms.

Serena capitalized on this image at every turn.

"Romanus fought with us, bled with us. Should we not stand with them?"

~

Only Almorr, Ramie's capital, remained Julius and his generals were thorough in entrapping the Ramie king, preventing any possible escape and silencing any envoys before offers of peace could even be discussed.

Reports came daily: the Ramie king, Aled, had barricaded himself within the palace fearing a coup from his remaining garrison, or a revolt by his people who had already begun to starve due to prodcut having ceased flowing in fro the countryside.

His armies, broken and scattered, were all that stood between Romanus's invasion force and total victory.

Hearing the news, caused her heart to beat faster knowing tens of thousands had been sent to their deaths all because she had proposed to Julius, a proposal he had accepted, which meant to him she was worth killing hundreds, thousand, even tens of thousands of men just to give her what she wanted most in the world at the moment.

But even so Serena did not rush.

Instead, she paused just miles outside the next cities walls as her own forces continued south like a cleansing tide washing the Ramie filth away.

She addressed the combined army—of now veteran Romanus Legionaires, Carthaginian rebels, and former Ramie soldiers who had defected.

Standing atop a makeshift platform, she gazed upon them all.

"Tomorrow, we take this city,"

she declared.

"But know this—this battle is not only for Carthage. It is for every soul who dreams of a land where strength brings prosperity, not tyranny. Romanus fights beside us, not because they must, but because they choose to. We are no longer Carthage and Romanus. We are one."

The army roared back:

"One! One! One!"

~

At dawn, the army moved.

Romanus siege engines battered the outer walls.

Carthaginian rebels, now veterans in their own right, scaled them, climbing grappling tools, and ladders.

But the final blow came not from the battering ram nor fire from the fleet.

It came when the lords own guards turned on him.

Romanus' agents had worked tirelessly in the shadows.

Gold had been exchanged.

Loyalties had been bought.

By the time Serena and her generals entered the govenors mansion, the ramie lord lay dead in his stolen home, the conspirators having also been disposed of nearby.

With this Carthage had all but been recaptured.

~

The capital city itself did not burn.

Instead, banners of Carthage and Romanus flew together, side by side.

The people, expecting pillaging and plunder, instead found order and structure.

Romanus soldiers guarded markets, protected families, and ensured no civilian suffered needlessly.

Serena stood atop the palace balcony, overlooking the city that had once been her own kingdoms seat of power.

Behind her, Romanus commanders, returning Carthaginian nobles, and Julius' trusted officers stood in silent support as they once more filled the Carthaginian court which had been filled with so much blood and betrayl so many months before.

In the streets The people chanted her name, and the faceless King who had aided them in reclaiming their nation.

But Serena raised a hand, signaling for silence.

"I stand before you, not as a queen who reclaimed her throne, but as a ruler who knows we are stronger together. Carthage is reborn—not as a shattered kingdom, but as a province of Romanus, stronger, richer, and destined for greatness. Romanus came to aid us not as conquerors, but as kin. And i would hope that all of you, my countrymen will join me in this new endevor as we not cast aside our identity of the past but adapt and join the rising Romanus, just as i will join to be with his Majesty and help him in creating an Empire, one to stand against further opression!"

The crowd was silent for a heartbeat.

Then the chant began—low at first, then rising like a tidal wave.

"For Carthage! For Romanus!"

Serena smiled.

"FOR THE GLORY OF ROME!"

The final shout came like thunder being repeated endlessly as the people chanted the name of the old empire, as if Romanus truly was the successor state to that fallen dynasty.

Her gambit had worked.

The people embraced Romanus as their own, and while some might reject to her pending engagement to Julius, the overall support was in favor so her true wish could come true, as she presented a more than significant dowry to her yet to be husband.

~

By nightfall, a messenger pigeon, carrying Serena's personal letter had arrived at the Royal Palace.

**"Carthage is reclaimed. The people stand united with Romanus. The Ramie kingdom shall soon fall if it has not already, we await your arrival, my Emperor.**

Together, we will finish what we started."

~

Julius read the letter by torchlight.

His cold expression softened only slightly.

"Serena played her part well,"

he murmured.

Zeff, lounging nearby, grinned.

"She practically handed you an entire nation on a silver platter."

Julius folded the letter.

His gaze drifted northward—toward Francia.

"Good. Carthage is ours. Ramie will fully fall shortly."

His eyes narrowed.

"And Now… we march for Francia, to get back what was stolen."

The fires of conquest burned hotter than ever.

Carthage was reborn—under Romanus.

Francia would be next.